Casey Prather has been drawing comparisons to former Gator Corey Brewer since the moment he stepped on campus.
In UF’s first exhibition game, the freshman showed why.
Prather put his exceptional length and athleticism on display Thursday night, scoring 10 points and snatching 12 rebounds as Florida downed Florida Tech 92-58 in the O’Connell Center.
“I’m not trying to compare him to Corey Brewer because he’s not Corey Brewer, but I’ll say he’s got that kind of quickness and he’s got that kind of athleticism,” coach Billy Donovan said.
Prather was at his best when he was crashing the offensive glass, as six of his game-high 12 rebounds came on that end of the floor. The freshman also contributed two assists and two steals during his team-high 25 minutes of play.
“It was amazing,” Prather said. “At first I was kinda nervous, but after warming up and getting loose with the team I kind of got a feel for the fans, so I was fine.”
After leading the team in scoring with 22 points in last season’s exhibition opener, sophomore Kenny Boynton nearly put on a repeat performance Thursday, scoring a game-high 24 points.
He showed off his new shooting motion, converting four of five three-point chances in the second half.
In the opening thirty minutes, Boynton was just 0 for 1 from distance as the team went 0 for 5 from behind the arc.
“In the first half I think we attacked the rim well, rather than last year where we didn’t do that,” Boynton said. “I think that’s a new area we can attack, and then in the second half we got it going from the outside.”
Overall, Boynton was 10 of 15 from the field.
He also grabbed five rebounds and two steals as part of a Florida press defense that forced 30 turnovers.
“The thing that I’m more impressed with Kenny — and he shot the ball well — was he was much more efficient on offense,” Donovan said. “The thing that was great with Boynton tonight was his feeling and understanding.”
UF freshman Patric Young tallied just three points, a block and two rebounds in 20 minutes of play before fouling out.
Still, his impact was clearly felt, as he drew a pair of charges and commanded consistent attention from Florida Tech’s defense.
“I wasn’t really expecting them to double-team me on the offensive rebound as much as they did because I only had two rebounds,” Young said. “But everything else out there I pretty much expected.”
Will Yeguete contributed six points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench.
Other freshmen making their Florida debuts were Cody Larson, who had just one point and one rebound in 15 minutes, and Scottie Wilbekin, who contributed two assists in five minutes of play before leaving with a neck strain.
Wilbekin’s injury was minor and he was cleared to play in the second half, but Donovan chose to sit him to avoid potential re-injury.
